Why Lionfish Should Be Your Favorite Fish to Eat

Venomous lionfish, native to parts of the Indian and South Pacific Oceans, have now taken up residence in southeastern waters of the United States and in the Caribbean. With the ability to reproduce quickly and eat just about anything half their size, and with no natural predators in the Atlantic to help keep their population in check, these fish are posing a serious threat to our reefs and native fish populations. Concerned about the impact of lionfish on reefs in the Atlantic, National Geographic Young Explorer Erin Spencer traveled to Florida to see how communities are banding together to remove these fish from their waters. Luckily, lionfish are edible and delicious, making them one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly fish to eat. So kick back with a plate of lionfish sushi and know you are helping to sustain Atlantic coral reefs at the same time.

Erin's research has been supported by: National Geographic, Reef Environmental Education Foundation, and the College of William and Mary

The National Geographic Live series brings thought-provoking presentations by today’s leading explorers, scientists, photographers, and performing artists right to you. Each presentation is filmed in front of a live audience at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Erin Spencer: I had no idea that something so gorgeous could be causing such harm on our native reef ecosystems. Lionfish are what is known as an invasive species. They can produce two million eggs over the course of one year and are voracious predators. They're essentially like the hoover vacuums of the sea.

When I was 17, I was diving off the coast of South Florida and I saw the most beautiful fish I had ever seen. It had these bold stripes and these big dramatic spines. And I had no idea what it was. So I went to the dive master and he told me I had just seen a lionfish. And I was hooked. I started reading everything I could about this strange and beautiful fish and what I found completely astounded me. I had no idea that something so gorgeous could be causing such harm on our native reef ecosystems. Lionfish are what is known as an invasive species. And that's defined as a species that is non-native to its area and that is causing harm or is likely to cause harm.

Now, lionfish are originally from the Indo-Pacific region and they were introduced off the coast of South Florida in the mid 1980s. And most likely it was through an aquarium release. So, someone who had some pet lionfish didn't want to take care of them anymore and then just dumped them into the local waterways. So this is problematic for a couple of reasons. First, lionfish are prolific breeders. They can produce two million eggs over the course of one year and one lion fish and all of her offspring can produce 8.1 quintillion eggs in just three months. And the other thing is they are voracious predators. They're essentially like the hoover vacuums of the sea. They can eat anything up to half their size and unfortunately that includes a lot of the really cool interesting reef fish that we like to see on the reef as divers. To top it all off they have a series of venomous spines lining their back. This produces a very nasty neurotoxin that causes pain and swelling if you're stung. One of my interviewees told me that it won't kill you but it will make you wish you were dead. So, this is definitely not a fish that we want wandering around where it doesn't belong.

And the more I read about this fish the more I realized that there was a lot of talk about the biology and ecology of lionfish. But really was-- no one was diving into the kind of social implications of this fish. So, I went to South Florida and I found this incredible community that has completely rallied around the removal of this species using whatever resources they have at their disposal. For example, you have Bob and Maria Hickerson. They're located in South Florida and they would go in their free time, and try and remove as many lionfish as possible on their local reefs. But they were getting so frustrated because they were leaving so many fish behind. So, they took some tools and random things they found at Home Depot and created the very first lionfish-specific spear gun. So, now you can remove them at a much faster rate. And then, Maria takes the spines and the fins and creates really beautiful pieces of lionfish jewelry. She then sells them to support the removal initiatives but also raise awareness about lionfish as an invasive species.

You also have people like Mike Ryan who is a dive instructor in Key Largo. And he was scared to see the increase in number of lionfish off his reefs. But what was even more disconcerting was how many people were coming through his dive shop who had no idea what lionfish were and why they were a problem. So, he created a lionfish safari hunter course where you can actually learn how to remove lionfish safely and effectively, and then go out and do your own lionfish hunting dive. So, of course I had to try.

And I'm actually taking what I learned and teaching you all today so you too can become lionfish hunters. So, I have a subject. Oh, geez! Okay. This is a test, okay. So, this is Larry, the lionfish. He came with me on all my travels. And here are the tools you need to become a lionfish hunter. You have a pole-spear, which is a three-pronged spear. Umm, you... it's very-- There's other larger ones, but this is the travel size. And you have-- You have a puncture proof medical grade glove. And so this is to ensure that you don't get stung by a lionfish and run into problems with your dive. So, lionfish have no natural predators. So they allow you to get really close which is why this spear works on lionfish but not lots of the other types of fish in the reef. So, you find your lionfish, you get all close and then you pull this very tight rubber band to create the tension, and then you sneak up and you have your lionfish. So, there you go, there's dinner. So now you know what to do when you encounter a lionfish in the wild.

Okay. What's next? So, the great thing about lionfish is that they're actually delicious to eat, and that's something that John Mirabella, who lives in Marathon Key found out for himself. He would go out and remove lionfish in the morning and take it back to the restaurant he owned on Marathon and just experiment with all different types of recipes. So, here's lionfish sushi which I tried and it was delicious. And then I did run out of food money. I spent it all on diving. I have my priorities really messed up. And so, I ended up eating lionfish for almost every meal for like two weeks... which was totally barbaric. But it was delicious. And the great thing is that in John's restaurant he marketed that he was serving lionfish in the local newspapers and people were coming from all over the Keys to sample this fish which shows that even if people are removing them themselves they're excited to support initiatives that are.

So, then my problem was, you know how do I tell these incredible stories of the people people were doing this grassroots management. I started with a website. I posted blogs and articles and photo galleries and what not. But I also had the opportunity to blog for National Geographic which was one of the coolest things I've ever done. But the best part about it was when those blogs would get picked up by the social media channels. All of a sudden my piece is getting tweeted out to millions and millions of people and then something truly incredible would happen. It would spark this online discussion about lionfish and about invasive species. And I had people saying all kinds of stuff, like “Wow! I had no idea they were so invasive”, or “Do they really taste that good”, or “I can't believe you're removing this beautiful fish you crazy (bleep)”, I literally had every-- I had everything under the sun people say and to be honest, I didn't care what they were saying. What mattered to me was that they were having that conversation. Invasive species are a massive problem around the world and it's just not something that many people know about. In United States alone, 42 percent of the species that are listed as threatened or endangered are at risk due to invasive species. So, this is something that we can't ignore.

So, I just got back from the Millennial Trains Project which was a cross-country train journey from LA to DC where I looked at invasive species management throughout the American South. This guy was in New Orleans, he was quite a character. He uses invasive Nutria and invasive Asian Carp on his menu and also includes an educational component so people can learn about what they are eating. Then I was in San Antonio looking at a group of people who in their free time organize volunteer groups to go remove invasive weeds. This particular weed is called Cat's Claw Vine and it has a series of very, very sharp thorns. And to demonstrate that, my guide threw it at me to see how it would stick to my shirt. And it did, and it hurt. So that's some of the fun things you get into in the field.

My next trip takes me to Fiji, and there I am looking specifically at what they are doing right. So, Fiji has one of the best examples of community based invasive species management in the world. They do an amazing job engaging the local community not only in removal but teaching them how to do long term monitoring. It's not enough just to sweep in and remove a bunch of species and leave. You really need to know what to look for in the future and how to prevent the invasions from ever happening.

So, this whole project started as me seeing a fish that I thought looked really cool. But the deeper I dive into invasive species management, the harder it is for to step away. I've learned not only how many people have... been affected by this species but how many people have stepped up to the plate and helped defend their communities and homes. So, I encourage you to follow along to go back to your home, and go back to your community and learn what is invasive in your community. Not only what it is, how to identify it but what you can do about it. Are there any removal initiatives that you can volunteer and take part in because this is something that we can just cannot handle if we try and do it in these little isolated communities. Everyone has to have a stake in this and participate and help defend your homes and communities from invaders. Thanks all.

Why Lionfish Should Be Your Favorite Fish to Eat

Venomous lionfish, native to parts of the Indian and South Pacific Oceans, have now taken up residence in southeastern waters of the United States and in the Caribbean. With the ability to reproduce quickly and eat just about anything half their size, and with no natural predators in the Atlantic to help keep their population in check, these fish are posing a serious threat to our reefs and native fish populations. Concerned about the impact of lionfish on reefs in the Atlantic, National Geographic Young Explorer Erin Spencer traveled to Florida to see how communities are banding together to remove these fish from their waters. Luckily, lionfish are edible and delicious, making them one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly fish to eat. So kick back with a plate of lionfish sushi and know you are helping to sustain Atlantic coral reefs at the same time.

Erin's research has been supported by: National Geographic, Reef Environmental Education Foundation, and the College of William and Mary

The National Geographic Live series brings thought-provoking presentations by today’s leading explorers, scientists, photographers, and performing artists right to you. Each presentation is filmed in front of a live audience at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.